Culinary ramblings of a mischievous cook. Recipes,pictures,diary entries and all things foodie.Follow a journey of life in the east Algarve, Portugal...

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Windfalls and mascarpone ice cream

We awoke this morning to find the garden littered with windfalls from the orange and lemon trees. The wind in the night had told me today was the day to make ice cream. Orange curd ice cream was first followed by mascarpone ice cream. First off you have to make the Orange curd

Orange Curd

Grated zest of two oranges

1/2 cup of squeezed orange juice

1 cup of granulated sugar

4 large organic eggs

1 large egg yolk

250g (8oz) Unsalted butter

Put the sugar in a medium bowl and grate the orange zest into it. Rub the zest into the sugar vigorously with your hands. Strain the orange juice into a medium sized pan. Add the eggs, extra egg yolk, butter and zested sugar mix. Set the pan over a medium to low flame and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Be sure to keep whisking all over the pan especially at the edges. At the first sign of a boil remove from the heat but keep whisking. Pour into a suitable container Put in the fridge to set and chill.

For the ice cream300 ml (10fl oz ) whipping cream

Having made the curd. (The curd has to be home- made since only home-made has the right flavour, strong and perfect enough to carry the ice cream. Don’t think you can cheat by chucking a jar of commercial curd in with a tub of cream).

Whip the cream lightly, so that it is still floppy, but has some substance to it. Fold into the cold curd. Either freeze in an ice cream machine or if you don’t have one, pour the mixture into a shallow container and place in the freezer, set to its lowest setting. Leave until the sides are beginning to set, then break them up and push to the centre. Leave for another half hour and repeat. Leave until the ice cream has just about set but is not rock hard. Process until smooth. Or beat hard with a spoon to break up the crystals. Return to the freezer to finish freezing.

Transfer the ice cream to the fridge about 45 minutes before serving so it has time to soften

Next off the mascarpone ice cream, but first a walk down memory lane. Every time I make this ice cream it rekindles memories of growing up in border country Scotland.We lived near Eyemouth, a small but important fishing town. I remember often being taken by my sister to see the fishing boats docking and unloading their laden cargos of fresh fish onto the quayside. Afterwards we would always stop and have an Italian ice cream at Giaccopazzi’s, the towns Italian run ice cream parlour. The unique taste of these ice creams I have never forgotten and bear an uncanny resemblance in flavour and colour to my own home made mascarpone ice cream.The coastal town of Eyemouth, seven miles north of Berwick has long been spoilt for Italian Ice cream. a century ago. Peter Giacopazzi´s great grandfather used to sell it from an ice-box on his bicycle. “It was a classic Italian story” he says. “My family set out for America, but hit Scotland first, and stayed.” And the family tradition is still alive and well today at Giacopazzi´s, Peter´s award winning chip shop, which sells fish suppers and pizzas alongside a wide selection of artisan ice creams. Scotland on SundayEatScotland's independent assessor said:

"It is the ice cream that would make me return again and again. The quality is evident and the awards that they have received are well deserved."Mascarpone ice cream

Heat the milk with the vanilla pod until almost boiling, remove from the heat, stir well and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy in a roomy bowl. Slowly pour on the milk, stirring constantly. Lift out the vanilla pod and return the mixture to the pan. Stir constantly over a low heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. It must not boil or it will curdle.Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and leave to cool completely. When cold, using an electric whisk, whisk the custard into the mascarpone then chill. Freeze in a freezer box and freeze firm, stirring once after 2 hours and twice more at hourly intervals. Transfer the ice cream to the fridge at least half an hour before serving.

About Me

I´m a self-taught cook.From my childhood in Scotland through growing up in South East England, my mother was my formative influence. Holidays in Europe, America,Africa and Scandinavia fed me with culinary inspiration. Fifteen years of holidaying in Tavira, led me to up roots and follow the dream to live in Portugal. Here in Castro Marim we run a small guest house, Casa Rosada.Relocation has opened my eyes and taste buds to how recipes and their ingredients can change and develop when incorporated into another country´s food culture and how foreigners like myself adapt the local dishes,bringing a new slant to them.In the last three years I have been researching and cooking traditional Portugueses dishes and then inventing a modern twist to them. I´ve started this food blog so I can share new recipes and a slice of Algarvian life here at Casa Rosada here in Castro Marim.